Cover image via 
Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp for the latest stories and breaking news.
A zoo in Denmark is requesting people to donate their unwanted pets to be used as food for its predators
In a Facebook post, Aalborg Zoo said healthy donated animals like rabbits, guinea pigs, and chickens, would be "gently euthanised" by trained staff.
The zoo said this would help "replicate" the carnivores' natural food chain, adding that it also accepts donations of some horses.
The announcement was met with a mix of support and criticism online
Some users called the policy "sick" and "disrespectful", while others praised it as a practical option for pets nearing the end of their lives.
The zoo says the practice is logical, common in Denmark, and has been used at Aalborg Zoo for many years.
"When keeping carnivores, it is necessary to provide them with meat, preferably with fur, bones, etc., to give them as natural a diet as possible," said the zoo's spokeswoman Pia Nielsen.
Stamos Tahas, a veterinarian at the Copenhagen Zoo, called the initiative "logical"
According to The Washington Post, Tahas explained that it provides a healthier, more nutrient-rich diet for the predators and encourages natural behaviour.
He added that the backlash comes from "over-romanticising nature… Disney-fying things a little bit".
"In the North, I think people are more rational and more in touch with what nature actually is and what life really is. They're in touch with death," Tahas said.
However, animal rights groups strongly disagree. Mimi Bekhechi, vice president for the UK and Europe at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), argued that the animals should not be in captivity at all
"It's not 'natural behaviour' for predators from Asia, who roam and hunt for their meals, to be captive in Denmark, and fed companion animals who originated in South America," she said in a statement.
The zoo confirmed it does not use lethal injections for euthanasia, as the liquid could harm the animals that consume the meat. Instead, it says trained professionals make the deaths as quick and painless as possible.
